Minnesota youth program addresses rural stress

Rural and farm stress has been a challenge for Minnesotans in recent years. Effective programs addressing this issue cannot ignore youths, who are aware of and affected by family stress.

For that reason, the University of Minnesota Extension implemented a youth worker training program that bridges research and practice in a variety of ways. Outreach efforts include in-person and virtual training to adults who work with youths, a blog and podcast, research briefs and practical guides, and a curriculum library to share hands-on activities and lesson plans. In 2022, Extension educators used their experience in youth work to lead the Bend, Don’t Break initiative, administered by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. This initiative builds awareness around mental well-being, especially in rural areas.

As a result, University of Minnesota Extension youth worker training program leaders adopted equitable sliding-scale pricing and added to their portfolio training contracts with five youth-serving organizations. In addition, 98% of the participants who completed evaluations of the self-guided courses reported having a deeper understanding of youth development topics, and 96% would recommend the course to their colleagues.

In a survey, one participant shared about how they would apply the information, stating “This will better help me advocate for youth within the dynamics of foster care, family/foster family relationships and sibling groups.” Another stated, “The self-study brought a lot of information to light for me such as the importance of youth development, as well as how significant policies are in an agency setting.”

Extension’s adoption of Bend, Don’t Break began with two counties. It has now reached 50 out of Minnesota’s 87 counties and more than 470 individuals. In addition, the youth development podcast has been downloaded 21,482 times, including 4,232 downloads in 2022. A free youth development curriculum library, launched in June, now provides more than 70 curricula.

Project supported by Smith-Lever (3b&c) funds.